8 Ways Suicide Squad Sets Up Future DCEU Movies

They might have been met with similar levels of critical disdain, but Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad take completely different approaches to being part of the growing DC Extended Universe. One of the big flaws of BvS was that it tried to set up too much, with ham-fisted cameos and on-the-nose foreshadowing shoved into weird dream sequences. This isn’t something that Suicide Squad is guilty of, though. By being a lighter outing featuring a bunch of supervillains, the movie doesn’t spend a whole lot of time paving the way for Justice League, Wonder Woman et al. However, it does do a certain amount of world building, and a number of moments go some way to linking to the broader strokes of the DCEU. And so, on that note, here are 8 ways in which Suicide Squad sets up future DCEU movies. Naturally, a spoiler warning is in place if you have not yet seen the film. 8) Feeling Superman’s Loss Suicide Squad immediately presents itself as part of a bigger continuity by having Amanda Waller’s formation of Task Force X inspired by the loss of Superman – after the Man of Steel sacrificed himself to stop Doomsday at the end of BvS. We also get a glimpse of a world still in mourning for the hero (e.g. a guy selling memorial T-shirts on a street corner). It is Waller’s opinion that, with no Superman around, the world is unprotected against the next Doomsday-sized threat that comes along. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and so she compiles a team of gifted criminals to fill in for the real heroes. This idea of making do without Superman is something we know will also carry on into Justice League, as the end of BvS saw Bruce Wayne decree that he would form a team of metahumans in Superman’s honour. 7) Arkham Asylum Less of a high-security psychiatric unit and more of a quick pit stop before the inmates break out again, Arkham Asylum is a major element of the Batman mythos, and you can be sure that the building’s appearance here will be far from its last in the DCEU. While most of the squad are held at Belle Reve Penitentiary, we get to see Arkham through flashbacks to Harley’s origin story. Rather than the toned down hospital from the Dark Knight films, the DCEU’s Arkham looks to be the gothic haunted house that fans know from the comics. Rumours state that the upcoming Batman solo movie will heavily feature the Asylum, with roles for lots of the Bat’s rogues gallery. There’s been nothing official as yet, but this would make sense given the popularity of the Batman: Arkham games. 6) The Joker After months of hype and horror stories about the terrible gifts he sent his co-stars, fans were mostly disappointed by how little Jared Leto’s take on the Joker featured in Suicide Squad. Though a lot more of the character was filmed, the villain’s screentime amounts to little over 10 minutes in the finished product. Rather than a fully-fledged appearance, then, his turn here is more like a taster for a larger role for the Joker to come. Leto himself has even described Suicide Squad as an “introduction” to his iteration of the character. One report stated that the Joker might be due a cameo in Justice League, and after that we can assume that he'll have a hefty role in the aforementioned Batman solo movie. I think it’s safe to say that Suicide Squad will not be the only time we see Leto as the Joker. 5) Harley Killed Robin?! Of everything in the film, the element of Suicide Squad that has caused the most chatter amongst hardcore fans is one easily-missed factoid that appears on screen near the beginning of the movie. When Waller introduces the members of the squad, we get a rundown of info on each villain, with facts whizzing on screen left right and centre. On Harley’s bio, one briefly-seen line drops one hell of a bombshell – she has claimed responsibility from killing Robin. After that scene in BvS where Batman looks gloomily at Robin’s costume, defaced with Joker-like graffiti (“Hahaha, Joke’s on you Batman”), we all took it as red that Joker killed the Boy Wonder, as per the comics. Apparently, it was actually his missus that did the deed. But is Harley actually telling the truth? This is presumably something else we will find out in the Batman solo movie. 4) The Flash As was leaked just days before the film’s release, Ezra Miller’s The Flash features in a quick cameo in Suicide Squad. Early on in the movie, we witness the Scarlet Speedster foiling Captain Boomerang’s attempted bank robbery. It really is the briefest of flashes (heh) of the hero but still does mark a first for the DCEU. Though the character turned up for not one, but two separate cameos in Batman V Superman, we didn't see Barry Allen decked out in his armour-like superhero suit. We had gotten a look at it before in the Comic-Con trailer for Justice League, but this is the first time we’ve glimpsed it on film. Will we have to wait until that team-up movie to see him next, or will The Flash whizz into Wonder Woman as well? 3) Harley Unchained Suicide Squad ends on its own warped version of a classic romantic curtain call. After seemingly dying in a helicopter crash earlier in the movie, the Joker makes a surprising (what, we all thought he was dead, didn’t we?) return to bust his beloved Harley out of Belle Reve - just in time to have more adventures in future DCEU movies. Perhaps even in her own spinoff film. A few months ago it came out that Warner Bros. were planning a Margot Robbie-headlining movie that would also feature female superhero group the Birds of Prey. Lately, though, Robbie has suggested this is only a potential idea. Still, it's telling that the only Suicide Squad member to escape at the end is Harley – as if the film has done its job of launching the character and she’s now moving onto bigger things. 2) Waller Knows Bruce’s Secret As with many a Marvel movie, it’s the mid-credits scene of Suicide Squad that is the most loaded in terms of connections to the wider DCEU. After appearing in batsuit earlier on in the film, Ben Affleck makes an appearance as plain old Bruce Wayne, in a meeting with Amanda Waller. Though they exchange information, the pair have a prickling relationship. As they part, Waller makes a barbed comment that suggests she knows about Bruce’s bat-shaped secret. Given how Waller seems the sort of person to have fingers in lots of pies, and her history in the comic books, we don’t think this is the last time we will see the Wall rubbing Batman up the wrong way. Will she use Bruce’s secret identity as leverage against him sometime in the future? 1) The Metahuman Files Another DCEU movie, another collection of metahuman files. Unlike Lex Luthor’s marketing-friendly teaser trailer playlist in BvS, though, the information on various superpowered folk Bruce Wayne gets off Waller in the mid-credits scene is a lot more low key. Apparently, Bruce used his influence to get Waller of the hook with the Midway City incident in exchange for this information on the likes of the Flash, Enchantress and Aquaman. Quite why he needs this is unclear, as he also suggests that he has already tracked down his fellow heroes – even calling them his “friends” – and has perhaps even formed the Justice League. Whatever the narrative explanation, the intention of the scene is clear. You’ve just seen one team-up movie, it’s saying to the audience, now it's time to get ready for an even bigger one when Justice League arrives next year.